Amazon unit withdraws from drone trade group, raises safety concerns

Amazon.com drone unit Prime Air is withdrawing from the Commercial Drone Alliance, saying it had safety concerns ‌that ⁠were ⁠incompatible with the group's positions.

Amazon Prime Air said in a letter seen Thursday by Reuters that the alliance's positions "on the ⁠most consequential ‌safety questions facing the commercial drone industry ⁠are incompatible with Prime Air's core safety tenets."

The letter ​said that in over 70,000 drone flights, Amazon Prime Air's detect-and-avoid performed "successful collision avoidance ‌maneuvers on two potential mid-air collisions ​with aircraft ​that ⁠could have led to catastrophic safety consequences, including the loss ​of life." Amazon said the alliance opposes requirements for the technology.